How stress and injury affect bladder control and pain
Official title: PACAP/PAC1R signaling and CRH intersections in micturition circuits: effects of stress and injury/inflammation
Funded at University of Vermont & St Agric College · NIH-11415086 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This research explores how stress and injury change brain circuits and bladder signals to worsen bladder pain and urinary symptoms in people with bladder pain syndrome.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Vermont & St Agric College NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Burlington, United States) |
| Project start | September 15, 2025 |
| Project end | August 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $639,138 |
| NIH project number | 4R01DK141516-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11415086 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Patients with bladder pain syndrome/interstitial cystitis who experience stress-related worsening of symptoms.
✕Less likely to help
If you do not have BPS/IC or stress-exacerbated urinary symptoms, you may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
If you have bladder pain syndrome or related bladder symptoms, this project will look at how stress, inflammation, and certain brain signaling chemicals may alter the body’s bladder control pathways. Researchers will study changes in brain regions that control urination and sensation, and how these changes relate to increased urinary frequency and pelvic pain. They will use animal models of stress and bladder inflammation to uncover mechanisms, with the goal of guiding future treatments that target these brain–bladder interactions.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could lead to new approaches that reduce pelvic pain and urinary symptoms for patients with bladder pain syndrome.
How similar studies have gone: Prior studies have shown that stress and bladder inflammation can alter brain–bladder signaling, supporting the potential for this approach to yield meaningful insights.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Vermont & St Agric College
Burlington, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Vizzard, Margaret Ann — University of Vermont & St Agric College
- Study coordinator: Vizzard, Margaret Ann
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.